First off the style of fishing where a Buffalo Horn rod is used was developed in Hyderabad specifically for Carp fishing and any other fish caught on this rod is purely by chance.

Description of Tackle Rod:
The rod called a ‘sing ki chadi’ is made with a piece of bamboo approx. 10-12mm in diameter and about 18-24” long. It has a tip of about 10-12” made with the inner portion of a buffalo’s horn. The horn is tapered down from the base (where it is glued to the bamboo in a ferrule type fitting) to form a sharp point. The last inch or so of the tip is shaved into a very thin cylinder of about 1.5mm dia. making it extremely flexible. The butt of the rod ends at a knot in the bamboo making it slightly thicker than the rest of the rod.

Mainline & Terminal Tackle:
A length of 20lbs line (more on the length later) is whipped on to the tip of the rod with red silk thread making it more visible. The other end of the line is attached to a treble hook made by whipping together 3 spade end hooks of 2/0 size (more on this too later). A small piece of thin lead wire is wrapped on to the line about 1” above the hooks, this acts as a weight (5-6 grams) and also a seat for the paste bait. A marble sized ball of this paste is pressed on to the lead wire.

Silk line & Reel:
A thick silk cord is tied on to the butt of the rod ahead of the knot. This line (about 200 yards), which is of about 100lbs breaking strain is wrapped onto a spool called a ‘charak’. The charak is basically a used copper wire plastic spool attached with a long bolt to a wooden handle. The spool spins freely around the bolt.

Bait:
Most times the bait is pure rice bran (locally called ‘Konda’) made into a paste by kneading it with water. This paste does not hold together well and breaks up in the water if it is immersed for more than 20 min. However, if everything goes according to plan you do not need to keep it in the water for more than 2-3 min before you have a fish on.
Some of the old timers have their own secret recipes, basically mixtures of herbs, spices and oil cake that are added to the Konda.

Method of Fishing: Site preparation:
After a suitable place is located on the bank of either a river or lake, a bloke is sent in to the water to check the bottom, which has to be flat, sandy or even have a bit of gravel. If the bottom has a lot of clay or slush, a few loads of gravel are dumped in and spread out and the lake/river bottom cleaned up. Ideal water depth should be about 6-10’ and the bottom either flat or gently sloping away from the bank. The idea being that the bait, which will rest at the bottom, should be easily visible to the fish. Also, the clean bottom will prevent the treble hooks from snagging.

Pre-Baiting:
Ground baiting is done with Konda twice a day for 5-7 days before the day selected to fish on.

Setting Up & Fishing:
After the angler takes his position on the bank the length of his mainline is decided upon depending on the distance from the tip of his rod to the spot on the bottom where he wants his bait to lie. Note: each angler fishes an area about 4-6 square feet only. After the bait lands in the desired spot the rod is pulled gently back till the line is taught. The angler then rests the rod on two stones while gripping the rear portion of the rod like one would hold a pen.

The objective is to have an absolutely steady rod with a tight line to the bait. At the slightest twitch of the sensitive rod tip the angler strikes upward with his arm held straight.

All Carp are bottom feeders and forage tail up. When a fish feeds or even twitches the line and if the angler strikes immediately the fish gets foul hooked in the lower jaw. Very often large fish after being hooked will head off into rocks and this is when the whipped trebles come in use – they cannot get snagged in the rocks as they fold and lie flat along the body of the fish. A regular treble can get caught in the rocks and tear out of the fish.

Landing the fish:
If the fish is small the angler plays it with the rod however, if the fish is large the rod automatically gets pulled out of the anglers hand (because of the grip)and he/she plays the fish by hand. The silk line is gripped between the fingers of the right hand and the charak is held in the left hand. A certain amount of drag can be applied by pressing down on the rim of the spool with ones thumb
I know people who have landed 60Kg Catla with this kind of set-up.

Conclusion:
The whole method and tackle may seem crude but believe me it is a very very effective and deadly method that has been refined and fine-tuned over the years. It is however a rather cruel method of fishing. Some of the old timers I have spoken to have told me that in the old days it was not uncommon to fill a jeep trailer with fish – all caught in one day by 5-6 rods.

Hi CC,
i agree with you about it being a rather crude way of catching a fish, and will add that it cannot be considered angling but more of a poachers dodge. Foul hooking a fish by accident is bad enough, and happens to all of us unintentionally, but doing it deliberately in the name of sport is just not done.
Regards
Owen

Owen for what it's worth, foul hooking is a practice employed at the Powai Fishing club in Bombay, where it is more or less the way most employed to hook-up from what I have heard. I do not know if things have changed, I have never fished there.

Just to clarify things, I am not into fowl hooking fish for sport, but it is interesting to note that many natives employed various fowl hooking techniques when fishing for the pot.

Don't mean to sound like a prude Bobby, but that's a rather desperate way of allowing people to fish in a civalized city. I have seen tribals in Jharkhand use a similar technique while trying to catch Wallago Attu in the rivers but then hunger was his motive. Are these Powai anglers on the same plain ?
Regards
Owen

I have never fished at Powai, when I wanted to (as a kid) I could not get in, when I can I dont want to because I am too busy in the salt.

Perhaps someone in the forum can advise you better about angling in Powai. May be Rustam used fishes there, he will know better, also advise you about the ratio of anglers into foul hooking and those into clean angling.

I was in Hyderabad some years ago, on my way to MP and had a whole day to kill. I spent some of the day in 'Lad Bazaar' near the Charminar and stumbled upon some fishing shops there. I was thrilled and spent an hour talking to the owner of a shop who first told me about this style of fishing. I also bought some of those spade hook trebles that you mentioned. I promised to return and he promised to take me out and show me how its done. Haven't made it back since.

This method of fishing is still very popular here and most people who do a lot of carp fishing use this style only.

Another important point I forgot to mention - some of the best Carp fishing in this region is done in the rains when fresh rain water comes into the lakes and the levels rise. The carp come into the shallows to feed on all the refuse and scum. However, the Deccan plateau (Hyderabad region) gets very windy during the monsoons and on a windy day it is impossible to fish with a float. With the Sing ki chadi it does not make a difference how much wind there is because the rod tip is the indicator.

Some of the members were crying foul . Guys, remember some carp have extremely tiny mouths (for their size) and they will just not be able to injest a hook large enough to hold them.

Don't get me wrong, I am not justifying foul hooking but one must give credit where it is due.

Thanks CC-
I wouldnt want to raise any controversy about methodology and ethics sounded a bit bizarre , hearing what I thought was a 'buffalo horn' used as a fishing rod...your post was really informative
Whatever the means, guess we're just going by the atavastic instincts of hunting for food, whether its an uptide or dynamite or sing ki chadi!
Yeah, that info about small hooks being suitable for carp was another piece of useful info.
Getting involved in sport angling, sad to hear that fish poaching is in great form in Cauvery and I'm sure , in other rivers too.IMHO, This is because the govt in all its wisdom , has banned ANY kind of biological/game management.No tigers left in Ranthambore-everyone knows, no fish in Cauvery? makes me shudder to think of this fate...
Best
Asif

Don't forget, them doctors is people too. And Sienna could cause an exodus in a monastery anyway.

BTW, just curious, does HK have a shop that stocks Megabass rods? I want to see a nice selection I could demo. If so, I could swing by. The problem with the distributor here is that they're always out of stock. In fact there's a long waiting list. I was thinking of stopping off in Nippon so's I could visit the factory and talk with Yuki Ito, the owner, since CC brought up the idea that I should suggest they start making a snakehead-specific rod, and if there are enough takers this may be feasible.

Hi MM,
Am back and wonder if nizam Saab could build you a good mega bass chadi. it would do the job well for all concerned.
let your shagir in hyd know and the rod will be ready waiting in your flat for your next visit.

ps...arent you working these days?????so much timeand effort wasted on the net and these forums.

What a brilliant idea. I could get the rod built locally for, what, $2. It would weigh 1.3kg, look like a tollywood chicklet on acid, and have all the finesse of a Tata Sumo. Nice. I'll take two.

Quote:

ps...arent you working these days?????so much timeand effort wasted on the net and these forums

.

No. I've been kicking it in LA living the sweet life. Remember, leisure is the basis of culture. These days I spend most of my money on wine, wimmin, and gambling. The rest I waste. Besides, work is so overrated. Hotshot and I tried it once. Bummer. He's my role model. I want to be like him when I grow up.

“Them doctors is people” sure thing mate, now, if Sienna went TO the monastery there would not be an exodus, just a bunch of very happy n excited monks. Why don’t you ask her out on a fishing trip? Nothing to loose, at least you could say “I tried” and not have regrets for the rest of your life wondering “What if she said yes?”

You’re a fisherman, we all have those dreams…..go for it big guy. (and before you ask I don’t have her number or email address)

Hong Kong is literally the worst place in the world for branded rods they are grossly overpriced, they do not have Megabass rods here. Singapore is a far better place (even price wise) and they very well could have Megabass rods there. And if you are in the US and really want a good rod, I would actually have one made to order.

I had got some 200 rods made here and shipped them to India about 8 years ago, so I can get something like that done. But for what you guys are looking at I would think that something made to order would be a better option. Try mudhole.com the deal a lot in blanks etc, I had bought a Van Stall spinning reel from them and had it shipped to Hong Kong their prices were the best at the time.

My brother is in the industry so if I really wanted to I could possibly meet this vixen (who spends time in LA) but some things are best left to the imagination. I have played tennis with some Hollywooders and discovered that they're just people, and quite boring. Why risk doing that with an ideal?

Quote:

I would think that something made to order would be a better option

Most probably not. As CC will attest, I have spent years dealing with custom-made stuff and, with very few exceptions (suits, shoes etc), things done in a small factory setting are usually the best. ie. CNC vs hand-made, CNC wins every time. Rod technology and advanced materials (eg: titanium helix in kevlar) and the expensive machines required to properly shape these are outside the realm of a one-off shop. Besides, pretty much every custom rodcrafter buys his blanks from an indifferent supplier. It's like so many "high-end" watches these days. Same movement, different face. Loomis claims they have great blanks. Rubbish. They sometimes stuff newspaper in uncured blanks to bolster them. Their mandrels are all symmetrical (yawn). Sure, there are exotic shops in exotic locations offering whimsical looking rods. Novelty appeals to the hoi polloi, not me. I have scoured the earth (metaphorically) looking for the best and I have found it in Megabass. The one-piece Megabass Aaron Martens Limited rod I have is to die for. As mentioned earlier, Kistler (check out their Helium II, 3oz!!!!) is the second best I have found. I ain't married to Yuki Ito. If Joe Blow in Bangaladesh made a better rod I'd buy it. But it'd be a cold day in hell before that happened.

On another note, you mention Van Staal. I had tried these reels out a few times over the years and always found them to be extremely heavy, ergonomically challenged, and lubricated with mollasses. What's up with this company? Re Singapore, no Megabass presence, I'm afraid.

I have visited the Powai angling club a couple of times as a guest but have never had the luck to catch anything. Yes it seems that foul hooking is the way to go ... and I did find it strange that an angling club promotes this type of fishing !! Its mainly, if not only, bottom fishing with paste and float. Unfortunately the lake is in very poor shape with the pressures of nearby quarrying, and is overgrown with water hyacinth. I remember, many many years ago it was an extremely scenic spot, and I am told the angling club was patronised by many "celebrities". Unfortunately the pressures of urban development have taken their toll over the lake and although there are members who are actively involved in enviromental issues they are unable to make any headway.

Thanks for posting that link. Welcome to the forum and look forward to hearing about your angling exploits. What kind of fishing do you do?

I just went through the MSAA website and couldn't get past half a dozen pages. Saw a nice 19kilo catla. They need to seriously do something about those windows that keep popping up put me off the site in record time.

Bobby,Most probably not. As CC will attest, I have spent years dealing with custom-made stuff and, with very few exceptions (suits, shoes etc), things done in a small factory setting are usually the best. ie. CNC vs hand-made, CNC wins every time. Rod technology and advanced materials (eg: titanium helix in kevlar) and the expensive machines required to properly shape these are outside the realm of a one-off shop. Besides, pretty much every custom rodcrafter buys his blanks from an indifferent supplier. It's like so many "high-end" watches these days. Same movement, different face. Loomis claims they have great blanks. Rubbish. They sometimes stuff newspaper in uncured blanks to bolster them. Their mandrels are all symmetrical (yawn). Sure, there are exotic shops in exotic locations offering whimsical looking rods. Novelty appeals to the hoi polloi, not me. I have scoured the earth (metaphorically) looking for the best and I have found it in Megabass. The one-piece Megabass Aaron Martens Limited rod I have is to die for. As mentioned earlier, Kistler (check out their Helium II, 3oz!!!!) is the second best I have found. I ain't married to Yuki Ito. If Joe Blow in Bangaladesh made a better rod I'd buy it. But it'd be a cold day in hell before that happened.

On another note, you mention Van Staal. I had tried these reels out a few times over the years and always found them to be extremely heavy, ergonomically challenged, and lubricated with mollasses. What's up with this company? Re Singapore, no Megabass presence, I'm afraid.

Meanwhile, I'm dreaming of a Christmas in Sienna (not Italy) Mm

Hi MM,

Sorry I lost the post...just read it, I have a couple of Loomis and I am quite happy with the rod, what I do not like about one of them is the reelseat, I found it very uncomfortable.

I have never tried a MegaBass but will get one and see for myself since you are singing their praizes..

About the Van Stall, I have never used mine for some reason, it really is a very simple reel thats why I bought it. Mine does not have the Molasses problem. I like collecting reels..

There are several fishing shops on Beach Road in Singapore (a stretch of them) you will have to make the time and comb them, if I go down to Singapore (which I may in September) I will look them up for you and give you the Shops name.

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